UAS Northwest Coast Arts Faculty Wayne Price Honored with Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award

Wayne Price, Assistant Professor of Northwest Coast Arts at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) has been chosen to receive a $40K Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist award.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: May 12, 2020

Wayne Price, Assistant Professor of Northwest Coast Arts at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) has been chosen to receive a $40K Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist award. The Rasmuson Individual Artist Awards put funds directly in the hands of the artists, allowing them to immerse themselves in their creative process and focus on their work.

Tlingit master carver Wayne Price teaches Northwest Coast arts classes in design and carving on the Juneau Campus. A member of the Wooshkeetaan clan, he has carved over 30 traditional and non-traditional totems. He owns the Silver Cloud Art Center in Haines, and is a featured artist in the UAS Egan Library Northwest Coast Art Collection. In addition to totems, Price uses his skills to create canoes and paddles, masks, boxes, drums, and regalia for dance and ceremonies. He has been carving since 1971, and his art is featured throughout the world.

“We are so fortunate to have Professor Wayne Price on faculty at UAS. Students are inspired by him as a person and as an exceptional artist while learning about the complexity and quality of this art form. I enjoy the energy and focus every time I enter his classroom and engage with Wayne and his students, remarked Ronalda Cadiente Brown, Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programs.

UAS recently rolled out a new Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis in Northwest Coast Arts in partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI). Housed in the UAS School of Arts & Sciences, Northwest Coast Arts programs are supported by a 3-year grant through SHI. The program requires students to complete courses in Alaska Native Studies, Indigenous performing arts, and a language class for Tlingit, Haida, or Tsimshian, as well as Northwest Coast design, art history and culture, art theory and practice. It includes courses in basketry, fiber arts, tool making, weaving, and carving. Price’s students recently hosted a virtual exhibition of their work this semester, the 2020 Northwest Coast Arts Showcase.

UAS Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Tom Thornton expressed, “Wayne Price has invigorated Northwest Coast art at UAS through his incomparable skill, passion, and commitment to his craft and community. As a result, the arts are growing at UAS, enrolling both traditional and non-traditional students and creating a more vibrant arts community on campus and beyond. We are very proud and honored to have such an accomplished and dedicated artist at UAS and congratulate Wayne on this prestigious award.”

Learn more about this and other programs at UAS or speak to an advisor at (907) 796-6100.